Sure, it’s good to think before you act, but weighing all your options can sometimes lead to paralyzing indecision. It’s fine if hemming and hawing over what shoes to wear makes you five minutes late to a party, but when your decision-making system affects your ability to move forward in your career, we’ve got a problem. Apparently, the 10-10-10 rule is proving to be everyone’s new solution to this. Endorsed by Oprah and taught at Harvard, the 10-10-10 rule might be your new secret weapon for leveling up in the workplace.
Coined by Career Expert and Bestselling Author Suzy Welch, the 10-10-10 rule is a decision-making system. It quickly enables you to make grounded, rational decisions by asking yourself three profound questions. I tapped Welch herself for insight into this “life-transforming” system, as she calls it, so we can all use it to increase our job performance and scale the career ladder. Ahead, what the rule is, why it works, and how to apply it starting right now.
In this article
MEET THE EXPERT
Suzy Welch
Suzy Welch is a Career and Future of Work Expert, New York Times Bestselling Author, a Professor of Management Practice at NYU’s Stern School of Business, and the Director of the NYU | Stern Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing. She also serves as a Senior Advisor for the advisory firm the Brunswick Group, is a corporate director, and regular contributor on The Today Show. Her op-eds about GenZ and the real culture of work today appear regularly in the Wall Street Journal. Her acclaimed class, “Becoming You: Crafting the Authentic Life You Want and Need” is the source of her podcast by the same name, and an upcoming book to be published by HarperCollins.
What is the 10-10-10 rule?
With the 10-10-10 rule, you weigh all your choices and how you’ll feel about them in 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years. Welch explained that this system can act as a sounding board at work by guiding your choices with your immediate and future career goals in mind. “Imagine you’re considering whether to take on a challenging project,” she said. “With the 10-10-10, you’d ask: Will this push me out of my comfort zone in the next 10 minutes? Perhaps, but in 10 months, it might enhance my expertise or reputation. In 10 years, this project could prove to be the experience that built my credibility.” These three questions allow us to see beyond the present moment and encourage us to prioritize our future selves.
How does the 10-10-10 rule work?
According to Welch, weighing your options eradicates rash decision-making since it gives you the “data” you need to assess the immediate, mid-term, and long-term impacts. It enables you to think logically rather than emotionally and prevents you from making choices out of fear or avoidance. For example, instead of saying “yes” to more work when you’re already drowning because you’re scared of being laid off, the 10-10-10 would help you see that saying “no” would let you focus on your current tasks and carry them out at your best instead.
What’s more, Welch explained that using the 10-10-10 rule allows you to balance short-term demands with long-term vision. This, in turn, not only cultivates resilience and adaptability but also a reputation for having good judgment and being proactive—all of which are points in your favor at work. “Over time, a thoughtful approach to decision-making can position you for leadership roles, showing that you’re not just reactive but capable of personal and professional strategic thinking,” Welch said.
“A thoughtful approach to decision-making can position you for leadership roles, showing that you’re not just reactive but capable of personal and professional strategic thinking.”
How to use the 10-10-10 rule in the workplace
We might not realize it, but we have to make decisions every day at work. And these decisions play a role in our overall performance, regardless of how big or small they are. Whenever you have a choice to make, ask yourself each question in the 10-10-10 rule to make the decision that’s best for the future of your career.
Question 1: How will I feel about this in 10 minutes?
When faced with a decision, start by considering possible courses of action and ask yourself how you’ll feel about each one in 10 minutes. For example, if you say yes to taking on a last-minute assignment, you might feel anxious or forced out of your comfort zone. Both of these aren’t ideal, but if it shows your manager that you can work under pressure, it could be worth it. Would hiring an unqualified friend for a project make you look bad? Or will it excite you since you’ll have to lead them by example, ultimately improving your leadership skills? These are just a few examples, and the scenarios you’re presented with will be dependent on the decision you have to make. The most important thing is that you’re weighing how your choices will affect you immediately and the ways they can work for or against you.
That said, while shying away from immediately uncomfortable scenarios can be tempting, try your best to avoid doing so; this will only inhibit you from making the best short-, mid-, and long-term decisions for your career. Getting acquainted with each outcome—even the uncomfortable ones—will allow you to fully carry out the 10-10-10 rule correctly.
Question 2: How will I feel about this in 10 months?
After examining how you’ll feel about all your possible choices in 10 minutes, you can then determine how you’ll feel about each in 10 months. Career growth is the goal, so like the first question, this is all about weighing how a decision can professionally work for or against you in 10 months.
“Every choice you make can either help you excel in your career or keep it stagnant.”
For example, taking on an assignment might overwhelm you immediately, but it might boost your performance review when you’re up for promotion within the next 10 months. Likewise, putting a team together without your work BFF who isn’t suited for the role might cause some friction now; however, you might be happy about it in 10 months because it could’ve backfired for both of you. Every choice you make can either help you excel in your career or keep it stagnant, even in under a year.
Question 3: How will I feel about this in 10 years?
Lastly, how will you feel about a decision in 10 years? This means considering all the long-term ways a decision can work in your favor or backfire. Saying “yes” to an overwhelming task and succeeding would boost your resume. And this, in turn, will make you more equipped to handle your dream job within the next decade. Alternatively, saying “yes” and failing might leave a permanent stain on your resume and work against you when applying for a top position down the line. Similarly, being able to separate personal relationships from work relationships would show that you’re capable of handling a managerial position in the future.
You’ll be tasked with a myriad of decisions throughout your career—it’s hard to know exactly how each one will play out, especially so far in the future. But learning how to zoom out and look at the long-term benefits or consequences of your decisions will help you make the choice that’s right for you and your goals.
How to make decisions even in uncertainty
While it’s impossible to know what the future holds, answering these three questions will allow you to make the most logical and sound decision for your career. Will you always be 100 percent comfortable with your choices? No, you won’t—but that’s the beauty of this system. 10-10-10 allows you to make choices that are right for you even in the face of uncertainty; it lets you move forward with the choice that you think will be best for you, even if it pushes you.
At the end of the day, you’re the one who has to move forward, whether the outcome is good or bad. However, if you’re taking the time to make decisions grounded in reason and aligned with your aspirations in the next 10 minutes, 10 months, and even 10 years, you’ll be unstoppable in the workplace.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Arianna Reardon, Contributing Writer
Arianna is a Rhode Island native, professional blogger, and freelance writer. She’s passionate about helping women develop healthy relationships with money, become financially independent, and invest in themselves for the future. Arianna is a firm believer in going after what you want, taking time to stop and smell the roses, and the importance of a good cocktail. More
